Reviews of Coral Reef – Lunch/Dinner
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Menus at Coral Reef Restaurant
Reviewed by Sandy Review Date: 09/30/2018
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
Think this place is way overrated. Went their with my family of 4. Got a great table right next to the glass. Enjoyed ourselves till the food came. Mediocre at best. It was great for the atmosphere, but the food was a letdown. Nice to check it out once, but won't be back.
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FoodReviewed by Lauren kilpatrick Review Date: 09/27/2018
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
Not alot of selection and kinda bland
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Great viewsCons:
Food mediocreReviewed by mvass1 Review Date: 04/12/2015
Rating: (2) Not Recommended
Our experience was less than wonderful. We had ADR for our trip in Dec 2014. We waited much longer than our ADR time. Our waiter was really quick with greeting us, but, then took his time bringing the drinks. He raced off to do something else and then came back to get our order. Then when the food finally arrived, it was really disappointing. My daughter had the lobster manicotti (just ok) my husband and son had the strip steak (fatty and chewy and not done to their liking). I had the Mahi Mahi (cold). The best thing about this place is the view and the dessert. That doesn't say much about a place that you have to wait for months for an opening and then have to wait to get in. On top of that, the food was just mediocre and even though we had a nice view of the tank (we were on the second tier) it wasn't a wonderful experience that we all expected. Our tables were quite close together and I know I was expecting a quieter experience. We didn't have unruly kids running around, but, I would have liked to have had some serenity especially since this atmosphere exudes it. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. It isn't worth the price or the hassle. Even with the DDP, it isn't worth wasting a table service. Won't be back.
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The view and the dessertCons:
The foodReviewed by mharder Review Date: 02/07/2015
Rating: (2) Not Recommended
We had dinner at Coral Reef on Jan. 26. We won't go back. I should note at the outset that this is the first time I've ever said this about any table service restaurant at WDW.
We were "checking out" restaurants in advance of a trip with our grown sons next Christmas. I booked the reservation with some trepidation because of the mixed reviews, but we thought we'd give it a try. Unfortunately, the negative reviews proved right.
We arrived on time for a 5:50 reservation and were told they were 15-20 minutes behind schedule. The lobby area was chaotic with too many guests who were all waiting for their tables. It's hard for me to understand how they could be that far behind that early in the evening.
Our table was between the tables next to the fish tanks and the first row of booths. The only good thing I can say is that it gave us a good view of the fish. However, this seating arrangement really should not exist. We felt like, and were, in the aisle. More than once, waitstaff passing through and guests being seated nearly knocked our bread basket off the table.
The food quality was uneven. My wife ordered Mahi Mahi and said it was good. I ordered the manicotti with lobster but was disappointed. The best way to describe it was that it tasted like it had been heated in a microwave (and not long enough). It was warm, not hot. At the table next to us (and I mean really next to us due to the aforementioned arrangement for the table), a woman had ordered a steak and I noted that she returned it to the kitchen because it was grossly overcooked and tough as shoe leather. To their credit, the manager and waiter promptly replaced it with something that she seemed more pleased with.
Undoubtedly our experience was colored by a table of badly behaved children near us. Grandma and Grandpa had taken their adult children and young grandchildren to Disney World. For reasons that I can't understand, the adults sat at one end and left about 5 kids ages 1 1/2 to 6 at the other end. One 3 year old decided her mission in life was to get the baby to pound on the table (by pounding on the table herself). Other kids were up, down, switching seats, yelling, etc. The adults were oblivious. As a result, we could not wait to get out. Unfortunately, based on some online reviews I have seen for Coral Reef, this seems to be a frequent occurrence.
In the end, I can't recommend this restaurant. While the kids at the nearby table were part of the reason, the uneven quality of the food, the seating, and the delay in seating us cause me to not want to return.
Pros:
The fish (the ones in the tank, not on the table)Cons:
Overcrowded, mediocre food, slow to seat usReviewed by sdlehman Review Date: 06/05/2014
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
Our family dined at the Coral Reef on the last night of our vacation, May 24. We had dined there in the past with mixed reviews and we wanted to try it again. The three adults ordered lobster pasta which according to the description was to have lobster, shrimp pasta and a white cheddar sauce. It sounded pretty good. When it arrived and we began to eat it we all looked at one another. The pasta was the shell kind and was very under done. There was very little lobster and the sauce was watery and bland. Knowing I was paying $30 per plate I pushed on and ate the shrimps and scrounged for any lobster I could find. When we were finished our waitress asked if we would like to see a dessert menu. I said "no but I have to tell you this was very disappointing." She said she would bring the manager who was very polite and asked what we were dissatisfied with. She immediately volunteered to remove the three dinners from our bill and only charge us for the diet Coke and apple juice we had ordered which came to about $5. I left $20 so the waitress would still get a tip since she played no part in preparing the food. I doubt we will be coming back to the Coral Reef anytime soon.
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FoodReviewed by lb1160 Review Date: 05/09/2014
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
The atmosphere was nice, we got seated next to the aquarium but only after we asked. Food was not good, my husband got the steak and it was horrible, I got the pasta with lobster and shrimp. The shrimp were tiny, the cream sauce was watery and the asparagus was cut up so tiny it had no taste. Ordered tropical drink and don't think there was any alcohol in it at all. Really not sure why is stays around.
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AtmosphereCons:
Poor FoodReviewed by aidenmama Review Date: 04/30/2014
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
Today my family ate at Coral Reef (DH, DS (5) and myself) - it was AWFUL!!!!! The aquarium is really the only positive. The service was mediocre -- the lady who seated us told us to order immediately otherwise it would take 30 minutes to get our food - then our waitress said she knew we were in a hurry (we NEVER said anything about being in a hurry - were actually NOT in a hurry AT ALL). But we ordered immediately (like she suggested) and we did get our food quickly. I ordered the lobster/shrimp pasta -- OMG it was terrible -- there was ONE bite of lobster (and it was not a big bite) and then about 6 shrimp and lots of soupy sauce with shell macaroni. I had to put lots of salt and pepper on it to even make it edible. My DH ordered the steak - not a good idea! It was obviously cooked at least a couple of hours ahead of time and reheated (probably in a microwave) -- he ordered it medium -- he added lots of salt and pepper as well. My DS's choice of mac and cheese was somewhat of ok - he ate most of it - but he'll eat anything if he's hungry (he is not your typical 5 yo). The bread that was brought to the table was TERRIBLE - it was the driest plainest no taste bread I've EVER had - and I'm a bread nut! Lastly - the dessert - we got the signature wave (lava) cake - simply put DO NOT make this mistake. And it was the best part of the meal. Do not waste a table service credit on this meal like we did and absolutely DO NOT pay cash to eat here. Go to House of Blues or Fulton's Crab House -- those two meals were beyond FABULOUS. Halfway through our meal - my DH and I both looked at each other and asked "are we sure this is run by Disney?" - it was most certainly NOT up to Disney standards.
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aquariumCons:
everything elseReviewed by foxycurl Review Date: 01/09/2014
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
Checked at our reservation time of 6:45, seated within minutes. Took 20mins to get drinks, another 15 for him to take food order. Then never refilled our drinks, and had to ask for check. Food was wonderful but service was terrible! This is our third time at Coral Reef. Last time we were rushed out this time we were there over 2 hours which is not fun when you have a 1 year old and a 5 year old. We requested Front and were seated in very back and could not see fish tank at all. If you don't mind outweighing bad service for good food then I recommend it but we wont be back after two terrible experiences with service.
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ServiceReviewed by Motherhen Review Date: 12/12/2013
Rating: (6) Not Recommended
We ate here 12/2. Our server was the worst we've ever had at WDW. She spilled lemonade into our butter and never replaced either of them. She only returned once our meals were finished. The aquarium and atmosphere were lovely as always, but we will not be back.
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AmbienceCons:
Server was awfulReviewed by NJDzneMom Review Date: 11/11/2013
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
Dined here the week of Nov 4th. We've eaten here in the past and even though I'm not a seafood fan (DH and DS are)I remembered a very good filet from a prior visit. I ordered the sirloin steak and had to send it back twice because it was not cooked properly; DS indicated lobster in mac and cheese was tough. The manager apologized and comped appetizers to try to make up for it, so while the service was good, the food quality is lacking. I will not be returning to this restaurant on future trips.
